With Lockdown measures in place, many businesses have seen a drastic change in their daily operations. One key change revolves around remote workers and how to get the job done without physically being present in our offices.
We can no longer walk across the room for a project update or ask a simple question without a possible delay. Managing a team of remote workers has its challenges.
Those who haven’t experienced working remotely can find the change jarring and even the best of us are tempted to take a little longer on projects due to home distractions.
We all need a bit of motivation, especially during a lockdown. From Sales to accounts and everything in between, we all get demotivated at times.
So, how do you motivate a remote worker?
Communication is key
With different remote workers scattered across the UK, we can all feel like we are on our own islands. When we feel like we are in it alone our morale can take a hit, and the team mindset can fall quite sharply.
This is why it’s important to keep up regular communication. A team meeting each morning can be a great way for the team to stay in touch and understand their role in things.
Not only that, but it gives everyone a look at how the business is performing. When you need a catch-up don’t rely on email and organise a call for added interaction.
Use Milestones
Many different businesses already use targets and goals to help track the work. Whether it’s something simple like the number of sales or something more complex such as performance as a whole.
Obviously, for many businesses, it’s not going to be business-as-usual, but using the numbers from the past few months we can tailor our new numbers and expectations.
Use milestones, as a pathway back up to the standard you are looking to achieve.
Inspire New Ideas
There is no such thing as a bad idea. That phrase was created not because it’s true, but it’s the mindset we should all employ. It’s not just up to the business owners to create new ideas which could potentially save a business. We can all get creative and have our vision of the future. So let your remote workers know that you are open to listening to their ideas. It’s not a sign that you don’t have any of your own, but you’re showing that you value their opinions. Feeling heard is an important part of creating a company culture that is motivated to achieve the best possible results.
Ensure They Have The Equipment They Need
There is nothing worse than working on a slow computer with plodding internet speeds. Most of us invest our money in different ways, so not everyone at home will have the same standard of office equipment.
During the first month of UK Lockdown, it was almost impossible to source a decent webcam without paying a large upfront cost. Due to the vast amount of new remote workers.
Ask your team if they have everything they need to work remotely, and if there is a need, ensure they have everything they need.
Just like slow equipment can slow down production, it can slow ourselves down as a result. Removing an unnecessary equipment battle will help your team move forwards.
We all work differently, and we can see this now more than ever with the current crisis removing ourselves from the normal office environment. There are plenty of mistakes we make every day that stunts our productivity.
The health of your team is the main priority, but, as we all know, many of us can’t survive without moving forwards.
This could mean ensuring that our team understands their roles and most importantly feel motivated to move forward, whether that is at home or eventually back into the office.
